FOR THE PROMOTION OF MUSIC (LeBAM)

The Lebanese Band Association for the promotion of Music (LeBAM) is a non-profit organization, non-political and non-religious-based, established in March 2008 by Mr. Ghassan Moukheiber in collaboration with the late MP Ghassan Tueini and Dr. Walid Gholmieh, to develop and disseminate, throughout Lebanon, music performed by community-based bands and orchestras, to promote culture, diversity, development and citizenship. LeBAM teaches music for free to 10 through 18 year-old youth, provides them with free wind and percussion instruments, organizes them in harmonic bands, to perform concerts and events at national and community levels throughout Lebanon. LeBAM also manages other activities to promote music. The LeBAM activities are conducted in cooperation with a wide network of Lebanese and international public and private partner organizations and individuals, particularly the Lebanese National Higher Music Conservatoire

Band Music for Culture, Development, Diversity and Citizenship

January 2014

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

THE LEBANESE BAND ASSOCIATION FOR THE PROMOTION OF MUSIC (LeBAM)

LeBAM’s mission is to develop and disseminate, throughout Lebanon, music performed by community-based bands and orchestras, to promote culture, diversity, development and citizenship.

Target Populations: 10 through 18 years old young students, drawn mainly from public schools and most needy communities and populations. LeBAM also benefits music teachers and conductors through pedagogical trainings; composers, though its promotion of musical creativity (compositions and arrangements for bands). Many more ultimately benefit from its activities, in addition to the above, particularly: the National Conservatoire, students families and the general public.

Main Activities: establish and manage a community-based nation-wide band program

Teach Music, free and to high standards of excellence, on wind and percussion instruments that are freely put at the disposal of students. LeBAM currently has about 350 enrolled music students in four LeBAM branches.

Organize and Manage Community-based Harmonic Bands and other wind ensembles, including all its music students; LeBAM currently has a one 50 members National Youth Harmonic Band; 2 advanced, 3 intermediate and 4 beginners bands.

Perform public concerts and events, outdoors and indoors, with high polyphonic quality both at national and community levels. The LeBAM National Youth Harmonic Band performed in such prestigious venues as the Victoria Hall in Geneva and the Beiteddine Festival.

Other Activities: promote the culture of music

The LeBAM Public Music Library, repository of all LeBAM teaching and performing resources. This library currently includes about 4000 materials, publicly available in the Sin el Fil “Centre de Lecture et d’Animation Culturelle” (CLAC).

The International Summer Band Camp (ISBC), a unique yearly 9 full days of teaching and performing of band music, open to LeBAM and non-LeBAM music students, teachers and conductors drawn from Lebanon and the neighboring Arab and European regions. LeBAM was successful in organizing and managing four ISBCs since 2009; The 2013 ISBC included 250 participants.

The annual Festival of Bands.

The annual music Solo and Ensemble Contest (SEC)

The mandatory teaching of music in public schools. This will require the development of an adapted pedagogy, method books and the training of teachers. This project is currently still in the planning phase, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.

Organization: The Lebanese Band Association for the Promotion of Music (LeBAM) is a non-profit organization, non-political and non-religious-based, established in March 2008. LeBAM operates both at national and local levels through committees that oversee the proper running of the Band Music Centers.

At regional level, LeBAM currently operates through four branches: in Beit Mery, Baskinta, Jdeideh and Baakline, serving the mentioned towns and their surroundings. It plans to develop 10 centers throughout Lebanon.

Collaborations: Activities are conducted in cooperation with a wide network of Lebanese and international public and private partner organizations and individuals, particularly the Lebanese National Higher Music Conservatoire.

Band Music for Culture, Diversity, Development, and Citizenship

Table of Contents

1- LeBAM Mission Statement and Vision

2- Rationale: Relevance of the teaching and performance of music in the current Lebanese context

3- Target Population and Beneficiaries

4- Main Activities: establish and manage a community-based nation-wide band program

4.1- Teach Music to High Standards of Excellence

a- Free instruments

b- Free quality teaching: methods and policies

c- Student enrolment policies

d- Teacher and Conductor Training

4.2- rganize and Manage Community Based Harmonic Bands and other Wind Ensembles

a- Types of bands and wind ensembles, instruments taught

b- Repertoire

c- Conductors

4.3- Organize concerts and events

a- National and community concerts

b- Concerts abroad

c- Annual Festival of Bands and music competitions

5- Other Activities: promote the culture of music

a- LeBAM Music Public Library

b- International Summer Band Camp (ISBC)

c- Annual Festival of Bands

d- Annual music Solo and Ensemble Contest (SEC)

e- Mandatory Teaching of Music in Public Schools

6- Organization and Management:

a- Incorporation

b- Organization and Operation at National Level

c- Organization and Operation at Local Level

d- Members, Friends and Benefactors

7- Collaborations and Partnerships

8- Media and Communication

9- Action Plan for 2014 - 2016

10- Budget and Funding

1- LeBAM MISSION STATEMENT:

Develop and disseminate, throughout Lebanon, music performed by community-based bands and orchestras, to promote culture, diversity, development and citizenship.

2-RATIONALE: THE RELEVANCE OF DEVELOPING BAND MUSIC TEACHING AND PERFORMANCE IN LEBANON

Music is rightly described as a universal language, the finest conduit for creativity and inter-cultural dialogue. Music should be an essential component of any person’s well-rounded education and culture; it has been such since ancient Greek times and has been proven, in modern days, to: (i) expand the avenues of expression and creativity for youth, (ii) actively contribute to their development and academic performance, and (iii) fulfill their human right to education and culture. Most importantly, music is an art that provides important tools and values of development, diversity and good citizenship. Many countries such as the USA and many European countries have greatly developed the tradition of performing band music in public spaces as well as the teaching of music at schools and conservatoires.

In Lebanon, however, learning and performing music can be wrongly perceived as a luxury, or as a skill to accompany food, marriages or even funerals.Furthermore, music education, especially for youth, has been neglected by many schools, both private and public. Music teaching is perceived at best, as an optional activity and worse as an elitist activity. Moreover, while the official school program, theoretically, provides for the teaching of music, the curriculum needs development, as almost none of the public schools can practically teach music effectively.

While many public and private music programs and schools exist in Lebanon, few (including the National Conservatoire) were successful in developing musicians on wind instruments, who are becoming very rare. None have a sustainable or serious program for developing quality bands and other musical ensembles in rural areas. In that sense, the needs in Lebanon to develop the teaching of music are great.

Therefore, LeBAM hopes to respond to these needs by achieving, through a band music program, a multiplicity of important far-reaching goals of culture, diversity, development and citizenship:

CULTURE:

1- Develop the students’ educational ability and academic performance, as music lessons improve children’s performance in school and boost their spatial IQ, which is crucial for higher brain functions, as beneficial as complex mathematics. Music also teaches the value of persistence, through sustained exercising over the weeks, months and years.

2- Fulfill the students’ human right to education and culture, and provide tools for the democratization of music, by freely teaching young students in mostly rural and under-developed communities and families (e.g. by targeting public schools).

3- Develop intrinsic personal values of expression, creativity, self esteem and gender equality, which music is uniquely capable of developing, through the performance of a beautiful art composed in a variety of styles. Young performers playing in a band will stand-out in their community as the holders of unique skills, capable of creating events and introducing beauty in their lives and in the lives of their families, friends and community. Music is also an art that can be equally mastered by men and women, boys and girls.

4- Provide an opportunity to develop the performance of music as a profession, or as an adjunct source of income (both collectively through the bands, and individually, by each musician). Musicians performing in wind and percussion instruments are in demand in Lebanon, particularly to develop symphony orchestras, teach music or perform at various private events.

DIVERSITY:

5- Develop the culture of diversity and democracy, deriving from (i) the individual appreciation of various types of music (e.g. Classical, jazz, Lebanese and world music); and (ii) the performance of music on a variety of instruments and a variety of music lines playing in harmony. It is thus ultimately a powerful tool for the development of democracy and an antidote to extremism and fundamentalism.

6- Develop dialogue and understanding between the diverse groups of participants coming from a variety of regions, cultures and religions of Lebanon. LeBAM will also develop collaboration activities and projects with individuals and organizations from neighboring Arab, Mediterranean and European countries, thus further highlighting the importance of music as a tool for universal understanding and dialogue.

CITIZENSHIP:

7- Provide practical tools for peace-building and conflict-prevention/resolution. The active participation of young students in the LeBAM programs will be an antidote to violence and idleness that are unfortunately rampant in Lebanese society, particularly among youth. Coupled with the development of respect for diversity, ensemble music is thus, in and by itself, a powerful tool for conflict prevention and resolution.

8- Develop the culture of team-work, as performing in an orchestra/band teaches discipline and cooperation, traits that are greatly needed in Lebanon.

9- Develop the culture of precision, as performing in an ensemble forces the most precise rendering of the notes to be played; this prefigures upholding rules in an organized society.

10- Develop the sense of community service, as the LeBAM bands and ensembles are called to perform in community-based public concerts and to participate in community events, and support other social or charitable activities.

3- TARGET GROUPS AND BENEFICIARIES:

a- Immediate Target Groups:

1- Young girls and boys, aged from 10 to 18 years old, particularly drawn from under-privileged communities, families and schools. LeBAM currently is providing its activities to about 350 students organized in four centers: Beit Mery, Baskinta, Jdeideh and Baakline. This number should increase with the development of new centers throughout Lebanon. It is noteworthy that girls make up more than 50% of students and share in the learning of all instruments, including trumpets, tubas and percussion, wrongly believed by some to be limited to boys and men.

2- Music teachers and conductors in public and private schools and in specialized music institutions, including the National Conservatoire. There currently are not enough teachers on wind and percussion instruments, nor are there enough conductors of bands, that are all needed to develop the planned activities of LeBAM on the one hand and generally develop music in Lebanon on the other hand. Furthermore, there is also a great need to develop and adapt the teaching pedagogy that can dispense the quality teaching of music in a band setting.

3– Existing or potential band music composers and arrangers. LeBAM is currently developing band music pieces, especially composed or arranged for its bands at the various levels of musical proficiency (i.e. beginner, intermediate, advanced). The development of such musical works, especially in Lebanese and Arab music, is critical for the success of LeBAM; it is necessary both for teaching and performing music.

b- Ultimate Beneficiaries:

1– Harmonic Bands in Lebanon, especially the LeBAM network of bands. Existing LeBAM bands, especially the LeBAM National Youth Band, are already setting a benchmark of musical quality and excellence. It is expected that such development will have a spillover effect on existing bands, such as the Army and police bands, some scout based bands and others.

2- The National Music Conservatoire, especially its current and future music ensembles and orchestra(s). The LeBAM trained music students will become the music teachers and performers in the future, particularly benefitting and boosting the role played by the Conservatoire and the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra.

3– Students’ Families are the group that is most positively impacted by the LeBAM activities as they quickly become supporters of music and the core of a public appreciating orchestral music of varied styles.

4- The general public. LeBAM is already offering at national and regional level, quality orchestral music, which in time will serve the purpose of developing the general cultural knowledge of the Lebanese population, in addition to providing communities, especially rural, with a great tool for public cultural entertainment.

5- The public school system. With time, the pedagogy developed by LeBAM to teach music to youth, will benefit the school system, especially public schools.

4- MAIN ACTIVITIES: ESTABLISH AND MANAGE A COMMUNITY-BASED NATION-WIDE BAND PROGRAM

LeBAM is essentially a band/orchestra program that strives to reach its goals and mission through the following three main interrelated activities: teach music, organize bands and perform music.

1- Teach Music, free and to high standards of excellence, on wind and percussion instruments that are freely put at the disposal of students.

a- Instruments Taught:

LeBAM currently seeks to develop Harmonic Bands, which are performing ensembles, consisting of several members of the wind and percussion instrument families (excluding string instruments, for the time being, e.g. guitar, violin, piano). Thus the instruments that are currently taught by the various LeBAM branches are the following:

The major challenge in this matter is to provide the appropriate number of instruments for free to the students. Instruments are owned by LeBAM, put at the disposal of the students, for as long as they are participating in the LeBAM band program, to facilitate their exercising on the instruments daily. Appropriate documents are drawn between LeBAM, branches and the students together with parents, to reflect the ownership and commit them to care for the instruments. Large instruments (e.g. Xylophone, tympani) are exceptionally kept at the Branches premises.

Instruments are expensive (average prices range between $700 and $2000 for student quality instruments); they are also rare in the local Lebanese market. Such high cost is one of the obstacles for the development of learning music on these instruments. Thus, it is very important to maintain an appropriate level of funding for the purchase of these instruments, in appropriate numbers to cater for the high demand of students.

b- Student enrolment policies:

The teaching of music is free of charge for all students. A small fee is paid by students in order to cover the maintenance costs of the instruments and to force a serious attitude and participation to the LeBAM teaching and performing activities.

Recruitment of music students, girls and boys, is effected in collaboration with local schools, targeting the 10 to 18 age bracket (exceptionally, younger or older students could be enrolled), residing in the vicinity of every LeBAM branch.

Every effort is made, in the recruitment and selection of students, to target the neediest sections of the population, including favoring recruitment with public schools.

No regard is given to gender, religious or political affiliation of students and their parents, as a sign that LeBAM is absolutely neutral to these factors, being non-political, non-sectarian. It rather seeks to use music as a unifying language and factors of all Lebanese irrespective of their creeds and affiliation.

All students are expected to commit to learn music, play in a local community harmonic band and take good care of the instrument that is freely put at their disposal by LeBAM.

Also, all experienced musicians in the concerned geographic areas are invited to join the community harmonic bands. Every effort possible will be made to maintain the interest and activity of musicians beyond youth to adulthood and old-age.

c- Teaching methods and policies:

The LeBAM students follow an innovative quality music teaching program that engages them very early-on into the skills and musical knowledge required to play in an ensemble. The best US-based method books for band, theory and individual instruments are used for teaching; they are part of the LeBAM music library which is in constant development.

Teaching will typically be given once a week for about 3 hours in a school setting, using rooms for individual instruments master-classes and larger halls for band rehearsals. On average, one hour will be spent on each of the instrument master class, theory and band exercises.

d- Teachers and Conductors:

The teaching is delivered currently by 24 highly competent teachers, Lebanese and non-Lebanese, many of whom are teachers at the Lebanese Conservatoire and members of the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO). The teaching is effected under the supervision of a senior international music consultant, Dr. Gene Aitken and a music director Mr. Serghei Bolun, in addition to several conductors and assistant conductors. Each LeBAM Branch teaching activities are supervised by a music coordinator (full names and bios are published on the LeBAM website).

The development of the number and quality of teachers is critical for the development of LeBAM in all areas of Lebanon, as the number of such teachers is very scarce. Every effort is made to train teachers on the use of the proper pedagogy. With time, LeBAM students will themselves become teachers and conductors. This is currently just starting to happen with a few assistant student/teachers.

2- Organize and Manage Community-based Harmonic Bands and other wind ensembles, including all its music students:

The second main activity of LeBAM is to develop community based Harmonic Bands and other wind ensembles (also called Symphonic/Harmonic Bands in English, Orchestres d’Harmonie in French), which are performing ensembles, consisting of several members of the wind and percussion instrument families (excluding string instruments, for the time being).

Every branch will develop its own Harmonic bands, but also teach enough students in its own area of activity, with targeted surrounding towns, thus allowing it to become a nursing-ground for many other community based bands and other wind ensembles (e.g. wind quintets, jazz or swing bands, smaller town harmonic bands).

LeBAM currently has a one 50 members National Youth Harmonic Band, 2 advanced, 3 intermediate and 4 beginners bands.

a. Types of Bands and Wind Ensembles:

The types of Harmonic bands that will be developed by LeBAM are different from the traditional bands current in some rural parts of Lebanon (and scouting associations), which usually play without polyphony, mostly in national, religious or political events and funerals.

Every band should include a minimum number of instruments required to play the expected repertoire. The bands aspire to acquire as many instruments as possible, depending both on available funds and interested potential musicians. Thus, the number of instruments and of band musicians is expected to grow with time.

b. Repertoire:

The repertoire of the LeBAM harmonic bands is varied and includes original compositions, published classical music, light music, and popular tunes, including Lebanese music.

Every effort will be made to develop the music library. Already, LeBAM has benefitted from a generous donation of music scores from American Voices and Dr. Gene Aitken.

Also, every effort will be made to commission special pieces, particularly to Lebanese and Arab music, arranged to the level of proficiency of beginners and intermediate bands.

c. Conductors:

Key to the success of every band is one or more competent music director and band conductor. Every effort will therefore be spent to develop the number and quality/skills of many conductors and assistant conductors for all levels of bands in all branches. Teachers are currently trained both formally and informally to become future conductors.

3- Perform public concerts, outdoors and indoors, with high polyphonic quality both at national and community levels:

The primary function of the projected Harmonic Bands will be to perform concerts during the year, both outdoors and indoors. Every effort will be made to make the concerts free of charge (except for fund-raising concerts) to promote access and appreciation of quality music to the widest possible public.

a- National and Community Concerts:

All LeBAM bands and ensembles are encouraged to perform concerts in public venues and participate in their respective communities events for free, unless for its own fundraising events. Many concerts are organized annually in several local venues by the intermediate and advanced bands, such as:

. Concerts on public squares for various local events and holidays

. Special concerts, with social impact, such as at an elderly home

. Christmas concerts in various churches and halls

In all cases, an important policy is mandatory to all bands and ensembles to underscore its non-profit and non-political nature: all LeBAM bands are forbidden to participate in any political activity or event, in addition to funerals, weddings and dinners.

The National LeBAM Youth Concert Band, including a selection of the best musicians of existing community bands, is also organized and trained to perform concerts at the national level. The LeBAM National Youth Harmonic Band performed in various settings, such as the following:

. Prestigious venues, such as the Victoria Hall in Geneva in 2011 and the Beiteddine Festival in 2012 and 2013.

. Unusual places and events such as the Chouf Cedar Reserve, in the context of the musical event “Promenade musicale”, in 2012 and 2013.

. Special concerts, such as the celebration of the day of the Annunciation in 2013 with a specially formed elderly choir and music arranged for the occasion; the opening concert of the 2013 NDU Student Film Festival interpreting a medley of film music.

. Annual Christmas concerts and a first part in the Christmas concert of the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra, organized yearly since 2010.

b- Concerts Abroad:

The LeBAM Youth National band was invited to perform a concert in Geneva, Switzerland, on April 17, 2011. With time, such participation in concerts abroad and tours will be encouraged and developed, because they add a wealth of learning experiences and challenges to all, musicians, teachers and conductors alike. They also represent a very nice image of Lebanon and the Lebanese abroad.

c- Develop Musical Creativity (compositions and arrangements):

LeBAM seeks to develop appropriate music for all the teaching and performance levels of the bands in all music styles (e.g. classical, jazz, world music, Lebanese and Arabic music). Particularly, LeBAM seeks to further develop the repertoire in Lebanese and Arabic music, in collaboration with composers and music arrangers. It has so far commissioned and performed many arrangements on Lebanese music, especially written for the various levels of its bands (e.g. beginner, intermediate, advanced).

5- OTHER ACTIVITIES TO PROMOTE THE CULTURE OF MUSIC:

LeBAM also conducts a number of other activities that are important, both to improve the quality of the main activities of LeBAM students, but also to promote the culture of music generally in Lebanon.

a- Develop the LeBAM Public Music Library as the repository of all its valuable teaching and performing resources. This library currently includes about 4000 materials, made available to the public in the Sin el Fil CLAC.

This library includes teaching method books, music for performances in a variety of music ensembles, orchestras and bands, books about music, school music teaching books, audio and video teaching materials. LeBAM will work ever to develop it with more books and material from varying sources.

This library was made possible by the generous donations through Dr. Gene Aitken of Belwin Music Editors and other US based charities.

This library, now called the LeBAM Public Music Library is open to the public in the Sin el Fil CLAC. A catalogue of the Library is published on the LeBAM website.

By agreement with the Sin el Fil Municipality, in June 2013, it was officially inaugurated in the presence of the Ministers of Culture and Education in addition to the Director of the National Conservatoire and the Mayor of Sin el Fil.

b- Organize and run annually the International Summer Band Camp (ISBC).

The ISBC is a unique 9 full days of teaching and performing band music, as an advanced tool for musical education, open to non-LeBAM music students, teachers and conductors drawn from Lebanon and the neighboring Arab region. LeBAM was successful in organizing four ISBCs since 2009 in Beit Mery and Baskinta; The 2013 ISBC held on the campus of the Notre Dame University in Zouk Mosbeh, included a record 250 participants. Such camp is supposedly unique in Lebanon and the Middle East.

It is expected that such camp will attract students from all over Lebanon and become a major opportunity for music learning and performance. It is also an opportunity for cross regional meetings and friendships in music.

c- Organize an Annual Festival of Bands:

LeBAM has initiated and launched in August 2010 a band festival competition. It featured the LeBAM Youth National Band, which played together with the Army and ISF bands that performed separately and jointly on the Nejmeh Square in Down-Town Beirut on the 14th of August.

LeBAM hopes to establish this festival as an annual activity. It will strive to broaden the number of participating bands and develop its rules to that effect. With time, this festival should become competitive, offering a price and trophy for the best performing band, and could draw visiting non-Lebanese bands.

d- Organize an annual music Solo and Ensemble Contest (SEC)

LeBAM also hopes to organize starting from 2014 a music competition for wind and percussion instruments and ensembles titled Solo and Ensemble Contest (SEC), offering a price or trophy for the best artists. This event could draw interest from participating non-Lebanese musicians, especially from the neighboring Arab countries in the Middle East.

e- Promote and assist in the mandatory teaching of music in public schools:

Realizing such goal will mostly require the development of an adapted pedagogy, method books and the training of teachers. This project is currently still in the planning phase, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the Lebanese Center for Educational Research and Development (CERD).

This collaboration will provide this dimension of the LeBAM project with its critical expansion dimension to pedagogy development and school teaching. CERD is committed to collaborate with LeBAM's experts to develop the pedagogical tools for schools, which is within their official mandate and expertise.

This activity enjoys the full support of Lebanese Ministry of Education, which has agreed to (i) test the pedagogical tools within the pilot schools, then (ii) use them as mandatory teaching tools within the nation-wide network of Lebanese public schools. It is also expected that the pedagogical tools developed be used equally by many private schools, thus providing impact for the project to hundreds of teachers and dozens of thousands of school students in Lebanon. The best of these students will then naturally enroll in the more musically advanced LeBAM nation-wide network of Bands.

6- LEBAM ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT:

a- Organization:

The LeBAM Project is, independently developed and managed by the “Lebanese Band Association for the Promotion of Music” (“LeBAM”)

الجمعية اللبنانية لنشر الموسيقى الأوركيسترالية

LeBAM is a non-profit organization, non-political and non-religious-based, established on January 15, 2008 (Registration ”Ilm was Khabar” No. 283 of March 10, 2008) and operating since.

LeBAM was incorporated at the initiative of Mr. Ghassan Moukheiber, in partnership with the late Mr. Ghassan Tueini (Journalist, diplomat and Member of Parliament) and the late Dr. Walid Gholmieh (Composer and President of the National Higher Music Conservatoire) and others. LeBAM operates both at national and at community levels through branches.

b- Structure and functions at national level:

LeBAM at national level, through its national Board, music consultative committee, management and volunteers, discharges the following main functions:

Manages the organization; establishes the policies to be followed by LeBAM at national and local levels.

Establishes local branches, oversees and coordinates their operations and activities.

Sets the teaching methods and pedagogies, appoints and trains teachers and conductors, supervises the quality of music teaching.

Provides students, through branches, with free instruments, which are put at the disposal of students and branches while remaining the property of LeBAM.

Organizes a number of national activities (e.g. concerts, International Summer Band Camp).

Fundraises for all national activities. It also helps branches in their fundraising efforts and may fund or subsidize their operations directly.

Establishes and manages relationships with all external partners.

The current National Board of Directors is chaired by the founder of LeBAM Mr. Ghassan Moukheiber and includes members committed to the development of the organization.

The Board of Directors also includes Ex-Officio members, being one representative of each regional branch.

The Board of Directors is assisted by a Music Consultative Committee, which includes a number of composers and non-employed conductors and musicians, who supervise the quality of musical teaching and performance.

Funders and sponsors are Honorary Members of LeBAM, organized in categories depending on the donated amounts. They are kept informed of the LeBAM activities.

So far, in terms of management, LeBAM only operates on a volunteer basis. There are no salaried administrative positions. However, with the development of the activities and the growing number of branches, it will become essential to hire a part time or full time national executive manager.

c- Structure and functions at local / community / branch level:

At regional/community level, the LeBAM branches discharge the following main functions:

Manage the Branch and its related Band Music Center, according to the LeBAM constitution, special Branch By-Laws and policies set by the National Board.

Coordinate relations with parents, students, schools and community partners.

Care, through students, for the instruments put at their disposal.

LeBAM operates at community level through Branches, enjoying its own organizational system and governance, sustainable funding and local membership (including local sponsors and patrons) under general policies decided by the association’s central Board. Such policies and organization are embodied into special branch by-laws.

Each Branch is established by decision of the LeBAM National Board. It is managed by an autonomous Executive Committee, including a mixed membership of committed individuals of the community, including musicians, able to develop its local activities. The local branch EC includes a representative of the National Board.

Each Branch EC is assisted by a parents committee and an advanced students committee, which has proven to be a very effective in assisting the faculty and the EC in the Branch activities.

So far, LeBAM includes four branches:

Beit-Mery, Metn in Mount Lebanon (covering the town of Beit Mery and its vicinity), the first Branch established upon the incorporation of LeBAM in the fall of 2007.

Baskinta, Metn in Mount Lebanon (covering the town of Baskinta and its vicinity), the second Branch, established in the fall of 2008.

Baakline, covering various towns in the Chouf, the fourth Branch, established in the fall of 2011.

Tripoli Branch, covering all the north of Lebanon, established in 2014.

LeBAM aims at establishing as many branches as possible throughout Lebanon, particularly in rural areas, depending on the development of available instruments, funds and growth in number of competent teachers, conductors and interested students.

Each branch will develop one band at least. However, with time, more harmonic bands and other ensembles will be developed in surrounding towns and villages.

It is expected that, once launched, each regional LeBAM branch will be self sustainable as from the third or fourth year of operation. Each branch will have to develop its own Executive Committee, group of sponsors and funding plan, thus drawing on the financial and moral support of the local community for its current expenses.

d- Membership:

At national level, membership at large includes all individuals and organizations interested and able to develop the LeBAM Project at a national level.

Individual and institutional funders are considered honorary members into various categories, depending on the amounts funded.

At community/branch level, the membership includes members of the community involved in the management and operations of the Branches (particularly those interested in the teaching and promotion of music), parents, community-based patrons and friends.

7- COLLABORATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS:

The LeBAM activities are conducted in cooperation with a wide network of Lebanese and international public and private partner organizations and individuals.

The following are the most important partnerships and collaborations:

The Lebanese National Higher Music Conservatoire: a longstanding privileged teaching and cooperation relationship since LeBAM’s incorporation, mainly including the following: (i) use of Conservatoire quality teachers and conductors; (ii) training of teachers and conductors by LeBAM on best pedagogy; (iii) registration fee waivers for the LeBAM students; (iv) temporary rental of a number of valuable instruments (e.g. Tympani, Xylophone, Marimba) and accessories (e.g. music stands) used in the context of the 2013 ISBC, teaching, rehearsals and concerts; (v) collaboration in the establishment of a student symphony orchestra including a donation of strings instruments from LeBAM to the Conservatoire. A Memorandum of Understanding is currently in discussion to capture the various areas of collaboration.

Other Lebanese music Schools: LeBAM has started a very fruitful relationship with Notre Dame University music school (NDU) at Zouk Mosbeh in 2013 for the organization of the ISBC and a music teachers training workshop. It is expected that this relationship will grow and develop in the future. Collaborations with other universities and music schools are open.

Dr. Eugene Allan (Gene) Aitken and Jazz Education Abroad (501c3 US based non-profit organization), currently acting as LeBAM’s Permanent Senior Music Consultant and Senior Visiting Conductor; also Director of the ISBC. A long term music senior expert and pedagogue in the US (check the resume at www.geneaitken.com), the involvement of Dr. Aitken has been very important for the development of LeBAM in many areas: ISBC, library and instruments donations, pedagogy and organizational development.

Schools: each LeBAM center is housed freely at a school which allows it to use its premises: i.e. the Al Kafaat University (AKU) in Fanar for the Beit Mery branch, the nuns’ school in Baskinta for the Baskinta branch, the Sagesse High school in Jdeideh for the Jdeideh branch and the National College in Baakline, for the Baakline branch.

Municipalities: many help local LeBAM Branches in different ways, including in providing donations and other in-kind facilities. It is noteworthy that the City of Geneva has assisted LeBAM from 2008 to 2011 with a yearly budget that allowed for the purchase of needed instruments.

Other bands and their respective conductors: (e.g. American Community School band, the Army band). LeBAM has invited musicians and conductors of other bands to its ISBC and training workshop.

The Faiha Choir: the Tripoli based polyphonic a-capella choir and its conductor Maestro Barkev Taslakian have been a musical partner in one of the LeBAM concerts and will be a privileged partner for the launch and operations of the new Tripoli branch. Partnerships with other choirs are possible in future events and concerts, involving choir or vocal participation with a band accompaniment.

Foreign music schools and similar band associations or community bands: these cooperation relationships allow for the exchange of experience, students, music professors and conductors (e.g. summer music training camps, special training seminars). Such cooperation has already started with a summer program in 2009 organized by the Youth Excellence on Stage (YES) Lebanon, with Dr. Gene Aitken, with the El Systema organization in Venezuela, Les Cadets and l’Ondine of Geneva Switzerland.

Foreign In-kind donor organizations: the University of Northern Colorado School of Music Library and Alfred Music Publishing have been the largest donors of books and other teaching and performing materials of the LeBAM Music Library. Others have made in-kind donations of instruments, both individuals and organizations, such as the Taipei American School in Taiwan and the American Community School in Beirut Lebanon.

The Ministry of Education and the Lebanese Center for Educational Research and Development (CERD): This collaboration will provide the project with its critical expansion dimension to pedagogy development and school teaching of music.

LeBAM is a member of the Anna Lindht Foundation Network of Lebanese Cultural Associations. It is also member if the “World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles” (WASBE).

8- COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA:

LeBAM is presented and promoted in a dedicated web site: www.lebam.org. The site includes also special sections for each of its regional branches.

Each LeBAM Branch and the ISBC have their own accounts on Facebook. These social media are effectively used to enhance speedy communication between management, faculty and students.

LeBAM makes every effort to advertise its activities in various local media (printed, electronic and audio-visual). Many of its concerts are filmed and broadcast on television, particularly through the NourSat/Tele Lumiere TV station which has filmed and broadcast almost every concert LeBAM organized ever since it has started concert activities. Many reports about LeBAM were made by the most important local media networks (e.g. LBC, OTV, MTV, Future, TL … etc).

LeBAM has also developed a preferred relationship with the electronic media www.elnashra.com which has also advertised all its activities.

9- ACTION PLAN 2014 - 2016

LeBAM is now entering its seventh year of activity. It is a time to consolidate results nationally, in existing regional Branches and in new regional ones. The main goals for the next three years are the following:

1. Teach Music to High Standards of Excellence

a- Pay Teachers and Conductors:

Maintain an appropriate funding to pay the fees of all its teachers and conductors.

Seek the provision of about 70 intermediate/professional quality instruments for its National Youth Orchestra. Particular efforts will be made to obtain quality percussion instruments, namely: 4 Timpani, Marimba, Xylophone, tubular bells, gong.

Provide students with its needs for affordable accessories (e.g. music stands, reeds, oils, greases, straps, mouthpieces).

Tailor new LeBAM concert jackets.

Seek to own a covered van for the transport of instruments.

c- Develop the Quality of Teaching:

Organize training workshops for teachers and conductors during the International Summer Band Camp and during the year.

Develop a LeBAM teaching and management handbook: the “LeBAM Band Manual”.

2- Develop Quality Harmonic Bands and other Wind Ensembles

a- Develop a Jazz Band with advanced students.

b- Develop a student symphony orchestra, in collaboration with the National Conservatoire, LeBAM, using Conservatoire string students and LeBAM wind and percussion student musicians.

3- Organize Concerts and Events

a- Organize National and community concerts.

b- Organize Concerts abroad (at least once a year).

c- Commission original music and arrangements particularly in Lebanese and Arab music.

4- LeBAM Music Library

Keep developing the librarywith an ever richer teaching and performing materials, drawn from new countries (e.g. Europe, Russia, Switzerland, Venezuela an addition to the USA).

5- International Summer Band Camp (ISBC): at the NDU campus and develop its curriculum and activities to cater for the ever growing number of enrolling students.

6- Organize the Festival of Bands: It will strive to broaden the number of participating bands and develop appropriate rules to that effect.

7- Organize the first annual Solo and Ensemble Contest (SEC), offering prices and trophies for the best contestants. This event could draw visiting non-Lebanese bands and musicians.

8- Music teaching in Public Schools:

Develop the music teaching curriculum in schools, by establishing a committee of music pedagogical experts to that effect, to draft school music teaching books, train school music teachers and conduct teaching first in model schools.

9- New Branches:

a- Start a new Branch in Tripoli in 2014: a local branch is under constitution, with a good executive committee and promising capacities.

b- During the fall of 2014 and the following years, (subject to the availability of teachers, instruments, funding and founding members) two new branches are planned in the following regions:

Kesrouan (to be housed on the campus of the Notre Dame University); Preliminary contacts are made in all these areas and planning is under way.

Southern Beirut Suburb (to include students from the various Palestinian camps), tentatively to be housed in Amiliyeh Technical School: Ecole Technique Superieure Amilieh (ETSA);

c- In later years, the following locations are planned for new Branches: Saida, Tyr (in the South), Baalbeck and Zahleh (in the Bekaa).

LeBAM counts on the generous financial contributions and support of many companies, organizations and individuals, Lebanese and non-Lebanese, that supports LeBAM’s mission and activities, particularly the free teaching of music and free availability of instruments.

A number of donations are global for LeBAM’s overall activities. Others are earmarked for specific concerts and events, specific branches, or specific expenses (such as the ISBC or the purchase of instruments).

LeBAM recognizes appropriately all individuals, organizations and companies for their generous financial contributions and support. Such recognition is permanent on the LeBAM web-site. Special recognitions are made for specific contributions in concert programs and on stage.

LeBAM also subsidizes the funding of its needs through organizing fund-raising concerts (with paid entries or cashed honoraria) at national and local branch levels. This and other funding sources make the LeBAM activities feasible and sustainable.

b- Budget

1- At National Level:

The budget includes the cost of all the functions and activities discharged nationally. This mainly includes the budget of the ISBC (presented separately), the training of teachers and conductors, the purchase of instruments and the subsidy of branch expenses whenever the need arises (see attached budget in Appendix A).

2- At regional branch level:

The annual running expenses, particularly to cover teacher fees is presented in the attached appendix (see attached budget in Appendix B). This part of the budget rests at all times with the branches fundraising efforts. It could be exceptionally helped in that effort at the national level through subsidies. Note that, typically, branches will use freely the premises of a local school for its teaching and rehearsal needs.